Best Areas to Stay in Lanzarote, Canary Islands

Playa Blanca is a town located in the Lanzarote’s south end, about 30 minutes by car from the island’s airport. It consists of the central nucleus of Playa Blanca and the towns of Castillo del Águila and Montaña Roja.

This tourist town is one of the most important destinations on the island and has the most varied accommodation offer.

As it couldn’t be otherwise, the main attractions of Playa Blanca are its beaches. Its main urban beaches include Playa Blanca, Playa Dorada and Playa Flamingo, all with fine sand and equipped with all kinds of services, such as bathrooms, showers, beach bars and watersports equipment rental venues.

As is usual in the coastal towns of the Canary Islands, the main shopping and leisure area in Playa Blanca is located near the beach, on the city’s seafront promenade. Both the maritime area and the compact town centre offer numerous shops, bars and restaurants.

In general, Playa Blanca has a quiet and family-friendly atmosphere. If you travel to Lanzarote with kids, Playa Blanca is home to two water parks; Dino Park Water Park and Aqualava Water Park.

The nearby Playas del Papagayo, located to the east of the main tourist development, are considered the best beaches in Lanzarote.

Located within a nature reserve, Costa del Papagayo offers fine white sand and crystal clear turquoise water beaches. The beaches that make up the Costa del Papagayo are Playa Mujeres, Playa de la Cruz, Playa de Papagayo, Caleta del Congrio and Puerto Muelas.

These semi-virgin beaches, in addition to their clean and sandy waters, also offer spectacular views of the islet of Lobos and Fuerteventura.

The easiest way to get to the Papagayo Beaches is by car. That said, they can also be reached by taxi or bicycle.

Numerous diving tours and tourist catamarans depart daily from the ports of Playa Blanca and Punta del Águila.

Another must-see attraction in Playa Blanca is Museo Atlántico, a collection of 10 different submerged sculptures creating a natural reef. This collection of statues is found at 12 to 15 metres and can be visited through organized diving tours.

The local bus station is located in the north of the city’s commercial area and offers connections to all of the island. Playa Blanca is also the only town in Lanzarote with a local bus line. The bus route goes from Parque Faro in the west to Las Coloradas in the east.

Costa Teguise is a coastal town located in the municipality of Teguise, 15 km from Lanzarote’s airport.

This town was specifically planned as an expansive tourist and residential development in the 1970s. Since then, it has been synonymous with luxury on the island.

The town centre is full of restaurants and bars. Likewise, Pueblo Marinero offers a market on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as live music and shows.

Costa Teguise has four main beaches. Playa de las Cucharas is the largest and the only one with dark sand. This beach is top-rated among windsurfers and hosts yearly PWA World Tour events.

Playa de Los Charcos is connected to Las Cucharas but has white sand. On the other hand, Playa del Jablillo is the smallest beach and, thanks to its breakwaters, has the calmest waters in Costa Teguise.

Playa Bastián is further south of the city and is a mixture of white sand and small volcanic stones known as picón.

The Lanzarote Aquarium is home to many marine species and an underwater tunnel and touch pools. Additionally, the nearby Costa Teguise Golf is one of the two golf courses currently in Lanzarote.

Costa Teguise is connected with other towns on the island such as Arrecife, Puerto del Carmen and Puerto Calero through Lanzarote’s bus network.

Puerto del Carmen is the main tourist town on the island of Lanzarote.

This large town on the east coast of Lanzarote is located next to the island’s airport and 14 kilometres from the island capital, Arrecife.

Puerto del Carmen was the first Lanzarote town to open up to tourism in the 1960s, and, with more than 1 million visitors a year, it is currently the island’s most visited destination.

It is especially popular among travellers from Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia.

Its main road, Avenida de las Playas, stretches 7 km along the coastline and connects its main beaches.

Avenida de las Playas is also home to many restaurants, bars, shops and tourist attractions.

The main beaches of Puerto del Carmen are Playa Chica, Playa Grande, Playa de los Pocillos and Playa Matagorda. All these golden sand beaches have different services for bathers. Playa Chica is the most suitable for families thanks to its calmer waters.

With waters offering average visibility of 30 metres and temperatures of 23 ºC, Puerto del Carmen is one of the best scuba diving destinations in Lanzarote and is home to a large number of diving schools and centres.

Unlike Costa Teguise, which was planned and built to serve as a luxury tourist centre, Puerto del Carmen grew organically and has shopping areas and the liveliest nightlife in Lanzarote. Its urban centre and the coastal area are full of cafes, bars, pubs and nightclubs.

In addition, Puerto del Carmen has a large accommodation offer. Here, you can find everything from luxury resorts to the simplest hostels and apartments.

Puerto del Carmen is an excellent area to find cheap accommodation in Lanzarote.

Arrecife is the Lanzarote’s largest city and its capital since the 19th century.

Located on its eastern coast, Arrecife is the island’s commercial, administrative and transportation hub.

Arrecife originated in the 15th century as a small fishing village built around the saltwater lagoon of San Ginés.

César Manrique avenue is a pleasant lagoonside promenade full of bars and restaurants. You can get beautiful panoramic views of Charco de San Ginés and small fishing boats anchored in it from this area.

The nearby Barrio de la Puntilla, the oldest neighbourhood in the city, is full of traditional-style houses and offers some iconic attractions such as the church of San Ginés or the Arrecife City Hall.

The Atlantic coast of Arrecife is dotted with small islets connected to the historic city centre. The must-see attractions here include the Puente de las Bolas bridge and the Castillo de San Gabriel.

Arrecife City Centre is also home to several cultural attractions such as the Centro de Innovación Cultural “El Almacén”, the Casa De La Cultura Agustín De La Hoz and Casa de los Arroyo and Casa Amarilla palaces.

Avenida de La Marina connects the two main parks by the sea, José Ramírez Cerdá Park and Parque de las Islas Canarias.

The most famous beach in Arrecife is Playa Reducto. This popular urban beach, located to the west of the historic centre, has calm waters and offers all services, including sun loungers rentals, bathrooms and showers. Reducto is in the centre of a bay protected by reefs, making it suitable for swimming and sunbathing.

The port of Arrecife, located in the northeast of the city, is home to the main cruise and ferry terminal in Lanzarote. This important port offers connections to Las Palmas, Tenerife, Fuerteventura and La Palma, and the Andalusian city of Cádiz. The Lanzarote Airport is located just 6 kilometres south of the city.

As the most populated city and capital of the island, Arrecife also has the best public transport connections in Lanzarote. Most bus lines either originate or stop here.

Puerto Calero is a tourist development on Lanzarote’s east coast, 6 kilometres from Puerto del Carmen and 15 kilometres from the island’s airport.

Puerto Calero emerged as a more exclusive alternative to Puerto del Carmen and is famous for its upscale atmosphere and high-end residences and accommodations.

This town by the sea is centred around its expansive marina. The Puerto Deportivo de Puerto Calero has made this enclave one of the most important sailing destinations in the world. Its facilities include prestigious restaurants, a shipyard, shops, car and bicycle rental offices and sailing schools.

The marina and its small promenade are the most lively areas in Puerto Calero.

The rest of the town is made up of quiet residential developments with single-family houses and luxurious villas.

Puerto Calero is an excellent area to stay in Lanzarote for those seeking luxury and tranquillity.

The good news is that it is very close to the nightlife areas of Puerto del Carmen, so it is perfectly possible to move between the two towns.

Puerto Calero is connected to Puerto del Carmen and the airport through the island’s bus system.

Caleta de Famara is a coastal town located in the northwest of Lanzarote, 23 kilometres from the island’s airport.

This quiet and not very crowded town is known for its extensive whitewater beaches and its intact natural environment.

Famara has some of the most impressive landscapes in Lanzarote. The town centre and its beaches are located at the foot of the Famara cliffs, the remains of a 10-kilometres-wide volcanic caldera centred south of La Graciosa.

Its strong trade winds and rough waves make Caleta de Famara the most popular area for surfing and kitesurfing in Lanzarote.

In the town centre of Caleta de Famara, you can find a large number of surf schools and watersports equipment rental venues.

The town centre is also home to a large number of restaurants, shops and bars.

Unlike other overdeveloped coastal areas of Lanzarote, Famara still retains the atmosphere of a quiet fishing town.

Most of the accommodation offer found in this area consists of tourist apartments and small family-run properties.

Timanfaya National Park is the island’s main natural attraction.

This protected area occupies a good portion of the southwest of Lanzarote and covers an area of ​​51 square kilometres.

This great natural park is famous for its volcanic landscapes, which create a vibrant contrast of colour and shapes. Timanfaya is the only Natural Park in Spain that is entirely geological in nature.

The volcanic eruptions that shaped Timanfaya National Park occurred during the 18th century, with a secondary eruption during the 19th century.

Access to the park is strictly regulated to protect its delicate flora and fauna. There are a couple of hiking trails and one where you can travel by camel. From the Visitor Center car park you can tour the volcanic landscape by coach.

The main towns near Timanfaya Natural Park where you can find accommodation are Yaiza, Uga, La Geria and La Cañada.

Accommodation in these towns is mainly limited to small rural houses and guest houses.

Punta Mujeres is a small coastal town in the north of Lanzarote.

It is located about 35 kilometres north of the airport and 12 kilometres from Órzola.

This picturesque town got its name (Women’s Point) from its location where the fishermen’s wives used to wait for their husbands to return from fishing.

Punta Mujeres is mainly known for its natural pools and for being close to Jameos del Agua and the Cueva de Los Verdes.

The four rocky pools in the town are ideal for cooling off at high tide.

Jameos del Agua, like the Cueva de Los Verdes, is located inside a rocky tunnel produced by the eruptions of the Corona Volcano. Los Jameos is located in the section of the tunnel closest to the coast. Its main attraction is its inner lake, a unique geological formation produced by the seepage of seawater into the cavern.

South of Punta Mujeres lies the town of Arrieta, which stands out for its golden sand beaches and its rocky outcrops in the foothills of the Peñas del Chache.

Unlike other beach towns, Punta Mujeres and Arrieta are quiet and not usually crowded with tourists.

The accommodation offer here is mainly made up of tourist apartments.

The town of Órzola is located in the north end of Lanzarote, about 40 kilometres from the airport.

This picturesque coastal town is mainly famous for being the main gateway to explore the island of La Graciosa.

Órzola’s compact town centre offers a typical Canarian atmosphere and architecture; whitewashed houses and narrow streets.

Among the main attractions of Órzola are the Mirador del Río and the nearby Playa del Caletón Blanco.

However, most of the people who visit this Lanzarote town do so as a starting point to explore La Graciosa.

The ferry service connecting the islands of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, operated by Lineas Romero, departs several times daily from the Port of Órzola.

From Órzola it is also possible to book boat trips to La Graciosa.

Caleta de Sebo is the capital city of the Island of Graciosa.

This picturesque Canarian town is a mandatory stop for all tourists visiting La Graciosa, as it has the only ferry terminal on the island.

The port of Caleta de Sebo offers several daily connections to Órzola. The journey takes about 30 minutes.

As the only permanent population centre in La Graciosa, Caleta has basic services such as supermarkets, a bank, and a handful of restaurants.

There are also several tourist agencies, bicycle rental stands and offices to hire diving tours, making it easy to explore this island with no public transport.

Caleta del Sebo is also close to several beaches such as La Laja, El Salado and Playa Francesa.

The accommodation offer in La Graciosa is made up almost entirely of tourist apartments. Additionally, there is a campsite on the outskirts of town, near the Salado beach.

Teguise, also known as Villa de Teguise or “La Villa“, is an inland town in Lanzarote.

Located in the heart of the island, Villa de Teguise was the capital of Lanzarote from the first half of the 15th century to the second half of the 19th century, when Arrecife became the official capital of Lanzarote.

Its central position, elevated terrain and commanding views gave it a defensive advantage over coastal cities such as Arrecife, thus ensuring its status as the capital of Lanzarote for 450 years.

Teguise was the first urban settlement in the Canary Islands and its historic centre still preserves an impressive collection of architecture from the 16th to 17th centuries.

Some cultural attractions in this historic city include the Casa del Timple Museum, the Teguise Market, the Spínola Palace House Museum, the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art, the Aloe Vera Museum and the San Francisco Convent. .

Its inland location and good road and public transport connections make Villa de Teguise an excellent and central area to stay in Lanzarote to be close to everything.

Although most of the people who visit Lanzarote want to visit its beaches and volcanic landscapes, Lanzarote is also an up-and-coming wine destination.

The Lanzarote Wine Route is centred along the southwest of the island, in the La Geria region, very close to the Timanfaya Park.

The rich volcanic soil in this area is fertile ground for growing vines and produces unique wines.

The accommodations along the Lanzarote wine route stand out for their rural boutique establishments surrounded by vineyards and volcanic landscapes.

Haría is a small historic town located inland, in the north of Lanzarote, very close to Famara, Arrieta and Órzola.

Known as the Valley of the Thousand Palms, this area is known for its peaceful atmosphere, its natural and historical attractions and its proximity to some of the best towns on the north coast of Lanzarote.

Some of the most important attractions of Haría include the César Manrique House Museum, the Museum of Sacred Art, the Haría Market and the Church of Our Lady of the Incarnation.

As for accommodation, Haría has a wide variety of rural houses, private villas and tourist apartments.